When tight ends coach Robert Kugler joined the Steelers, he'd already heard the reputations of his two primary players, Pat Freiermuth and Darnell Washington.
And everything he's seen out of that dynamic duo through the first half of his first season in Pittsburgh has lived up to the billing, on and off the field.
"They're very selfless. It's honestly impressive to see," Kugler said Friday after practice. "Coming in, everybody said they're great guys and it's a great room. I've been lucky and blessed. These guys are awesome."
Both could likely be true No. 1 tight ends on many of the other 31 teams in the NFL, but with the Steelers, they share the spotlight. Since Week 4, one or both has a touchdown in every game and they've alternated in leading the team in receiving yards at the position.
For the season, Washington has 254 yards, 3 touchdowns and 19 receptions on 28 targets while Freiermuth has 235 yards, 5 total touchdowns and 25 receptions on 35 targets.
"The mentality of those guys, they get just as excited for the run game as they do catching the ball," Kugler said. "At least I hope — they seem to. But they do a great job with whatever we ask them to do."
More has been asked of Washington in a receiving role and Freiermuth in a blocking role. Washington will always be a unique tight end in terms of his presence in the run game, though, and Kugler pointed out how helpful that is in drawing up plays for the offense.
Most teams have to scheme around their tight end. The Steelers can scheme to No. 80.
"That's typically a mismatch for the offense," Kugler said, "and we feel sometimes that's an advantage for us, when most teams don't have that."
As for Freiermuth, he's the elder statesman of the room and it's showing. Amid a season of change with a new head coach, new play-caller and new system, Freiermuth's football IQ has come in handy.
With his pass-catching prowess, it can be easy to forget that Freiermuth is still a rugged 6-foot-5, 258-pound veteran who has played in plenty of big games. And as affable as he is off the field, he can bring a nasty disposition between the lines.
"He can step into any role, even if it's something we haven't repped," Kugler said. "He knows the offense conceptually. He's got a good feel for route-running, and the physicality, you see it. Previously, sometimes he was asked to do a limited amount, but he's tough enough to do all the in-line stuff, too."
Now Freiermuth heads to his home away from home, Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. It's where his dad, John, was born — which might be the only way to explain Freiermuth's hot streak there.
In five career road games against the Bengals, Freiermuth has 29 catches, 414 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns. He has at least 75 yards or a touchdown on top of four or more receptions every time he has played there, which includes a two-touchdown performance in last year's white-out game, a theme near and dear to the heart of any Penn State football product.
"I really, truly don't know," Freiermuth said Thursday with a smile. "It's just one of those stadiums. But regardless of the stats and everything that I've had in Cincinnati, it is such a great place to play, such a good environment. Those fans, they hate us. … Obviously, it's going to be their white-out game. I'm a big fan of white-outs."
Freiermuth is also coming off of his first NFL rushing touchdown in the 27-6 win Week 8 against the Browns. He's the Steelers' short-yardage ball-carrier for the quarterback sneak.
While Freiermuth doesn't have any preference among Pittsburgh Plunge, Steel City Shove or other names for that play, the Steelers call it "Nittany" and it continues to work like a charm when they need a yard. He has 5 yards on 4 carries, with each one going for a first down or touchdown.
And who's always there providing a push past the line to gain? It's got to be Mount Washington.
"He was fired up," Kugler said of Freiermuth finding the end zone on the ground. "But he's been great. He's embraced it. He's taken ownership of it. And him and Darnell working together on it, it's pretty cool."
